


Be Nice To Me

by Smahahah



Category: Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (TV)
Genre: Co-workers, Emotions, Family, Family Reunions, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28690677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smahahah/pseuds/Smahahah
Summary: David agrees to go with Brad to his family reunion on one condition.
Relationships: Brad Bakshi/David Brittlesbee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	Be Nice To Me

**Author's Note:**

> Pretend this makes sense please

David had certainly noticed Brad acting stranger than usual. His usual sarcastic retorts were stilted, and he seemed distracted from his normal unyielding ambition. 

In other words, Brad looked stressed. 

David didn't pay much mind when he spotted Brad hunched over the coffee maker on Monday morning. He just assumed he had a wild weekend. On Tuesday afternoon, the generally formidable Brad was quiet during their staff meeting. 

On Wednesday evening, after an extremely long work day, David found Brad in the parking garage. Brad was on his knees frantically searching the ground around his car. 

"Lose something?" David asks.

Brad freezes, looking rather trapped. "I dropped my keys," he says after a moment of silence. 

"Oh, let me help." David sets his bag on the ground and starts to kneel down next to Brad. 

"I'm fine." Brad's voice is sharp, more so than usual. 

"It's really no problem-"

"I don't need your help," Brad snaps. 

David huffs. "I was just trying to be nice." 

Brad's shoulders drop a little, and he sighs. "...Okay." 

"Okay?"

"You can help. If it's so important to you." 

David shakes his head a little, but he does kneel next to Brad. He doesn't mind crawling around on the asphalt as much as Brad does. 

As David reaches under the car towards the shiny Ducktales keychain, he hears a shuddering breath behind him. 

He grabs the keys and carefully sits back up. "Here you go- oh, oh no…." 

Brad is leaning against the tire, completely careless of the dirt covering his sweater. He has his head in his hands and his body is shaking slightly. 

David isn't sure what to do. Brad? Being vulnerable? Well that's just unheard of. He glances around the mostly empty parking garage, Brad's keys still clutched in hand. The Ducktales keychain glints in the fluorescent light. 

"Um...Brad?" 

Brad's body tenses and the shaking stops abruptly. He seems to have forgotten that David was there. 

"I...got your keys." 

"...Yeah." He doesn't move his hands away from his face. 

"I'll just…" he stands slowly, brushing the dirt off his pants, "leave them here." 

Brad nods. 

David bites the inside of his cheek. It just doesn't feel right to leave him here like this. He's clearly struggling. 

"Or, um… I could drive you home? You probably shouldn't be driving like this." 

He's not expecting Brad to respond at all, let alone accept his offer, so it takes him a moment to realize Brad is already halfway to David's car. 

David grabs his bag and jogs to catch up with him. He unlocks his car, which is not nearly as nice as Brad's, and gets in. Brad surreptitiously rubs his eyes. David pretends not to notice. 

They sit in semi-awkward silence for about five minutes before David suddenly pulls over.

"What?" Brad looks at him suspiciously. 

"I just realized I have no idea where you live." 

They both pretend not to be embarrassed as Brad gives his address. 

David makes a u-turn and the silence returns for as long as David can stand. It lasts about two and a half more minutes. 

"Am I allowed to ask what's going on?" 

Brad turns his already contorted body even further towards the window. "I'd prefer if you didn't."

David doesn't look at him, both out of respect for Brad's wounded pride and because he's driving. "I kinda feel like I deserve at least some of an explanation. I did crawl under your car." 

The only noise is the GPS's posh-accented "Turn right in 500 feet." 

"Alright, fine, don't tell me," David tries hard to keep the annoyance out of his voice. 

Brad picks up on it anyway. Normally it wouldn't bother him at all, but he's feeling extra sensitive this week. "I have to go home." 

"I'm taking you home, calm down."

"No, I mean- I have to go home. To my parents." 

"What? Why?" David has never heard Brad even mention his parents before. He was starting to think he had sprung fully formed from someone's forehead like Athena.

"Mandatory family gathering," Brad mumbles. "I can't get out of it." 

"You don't like your family?" David realizes too late that he might be getting too personal. 

Brad hesitates before answering. "I don't...hate them. They're just….overwhelming." 

"Overwhelming?" They both know they're in danger of talking about their emotions. 

"Overbearing. Domineering, tyrannical, oppressive." 

"I know what overwhelming means." 

"Just making sure." 

David huffs again. "If you don't want to talk about it-"

"Will you come with me?" Brad blurts out, seemingly unable to stop himself. 

"Come again?" 

Brad looks disappointed in himself for half a second. "I said...will you come with me?" 

"....Why on Earth would you want me there?" David looks over at Brad, eyes wide.

"Eyes on the road!" 

The car swerves back into the lane. 

"You want me to come to your family reunion?" 

"If you won't go-" 

"I didn't say that!" 

Brad looks pained by admitting weakness, especially in front of David. "I can't deal with them alone." He stares pointedly out the window, the street lights painting golden light and dark shadows onto his face. 

David chances another glance at him. He doesn't want to upset him by drifting into the other lane again. The golden streetlight makes him look so… David shakes that thought away before it can even fully form. 

"Alright," David finally says. 

Brad sits up a little straighter. "Alright?" 

"Yeah, alright. I'll go with you. On one condition."

Brad's expression immediately turns suspicious. He's not used to David being this cunning. "And what's that?"

David grins as he turns the car into Brad's driveway.

"You have to be nice to me."


End file.
